Shipping-crate



Paten ted July I9, I898.

I. REEDER. SHIPPING CRATE. (Appl ication filed Aug 30, 1897.)

(No Model.

IIDQQDIGP Wifgzsses ma noams PETERS c0, PHO'FO-LITHOV- \ivnsummou. n. a

JAMES ASA REEDER, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

SHIPPING-CRATE.

srncrrrcgrion forming part of Leaeatae ma a, dated July 19,1898.

Application filed August 30, 1897- Serial No. 649,990. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAM s ASA REEDER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby andState of Tennessee,'haveinvented a new and useful Shipping-Crate, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to shipping-crates, and particularly to that classdesigned especially for shipping poultry; and the object in view is toprovide a collapsible or folding crate comprisingthe minimum number ofdetachable parts and adapted to be folded into compact form for returnshipment.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a crate constructedin accordance-with my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing thecrate folded. Fig. 3 is a detail sec-' to form opposite pivotal sidewalls of the crate,

and opposite removable side walls 4, also provided with filling ofinterstitial construction. The uprights or standards 3, which form theconnection between the frames of the top and bottom walls, are pivotallymounted upon the exterior edges of said frames, whereby they fold intocontact, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 2. The removable sidewalls are provided with transverse vertical cleats 5, which extend belowthe lower edges of the walls to form studs to engage the outer sides ofthe bottom frame when the lower bars of said removable sides arearranged in operative position upon the upper surfaces of the side barspointed out in the appended of the bottom frame,'and the'side bars ofthe top frame are provided with catches 6 to engage the upper barsof'the removable side frames. In the construction illustrated thesecatches consist of stirrup-shaped buttons having their parallel armsarranged contiguous to the inner and outer surfaces, respectively,

of th side bars of the top frame and having 'theirconnecting transverseportions mounted in suitable bearings in said bars, whereby whenthe'stirrup-arms are turned downwardly 'they'pass upon op'po'sitesidesof the top bars of the removable side frames and hold said frames fromdisplacement. Hence in order to fold the crate embodying my invention itis simply necessary to disengage the catches 6 from the removable sideframes by swinging the arms thereof upwardly into the plane of the topwall and then displace said removable sides inwardly to lie within theframe of the bottom wall, the thickness of the frame of eachremovableside wall being less than that of the bottom frame, whereby it isadapted to lie within the latter :witho'ut projecting beyond the upperand lowersurfaces of the bottomrframe. The top frame may then be swungdownwardly into contact with the bottom frame to cause the uprights orstandards 3 to occupy inclined approximately horizontal positions. Toset up the crate for use, the abovedescribed operation is reversed. Fromthe above description it will be seen that the crate is provided withtwo detachable parts-namely, the removable side walls, which when thecrate is folded occupy positions between the'top and bottom walls,whichare so constructed as to fold compactly withoutbein g interferedwith bysaid removable side walls. The length of the removable side walls isless than the distance between the opposite side bars of the bottomframe, for the reason that the width of each upright or standard isgreater than the bars comprising the top and bottom frames.

When the crate is folded, it is adapted to be secured against spreadingby means of suitable hooks and eyes'7 and 8, as shown in Fig. 2, or anyequivalent holding device.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

. said removable side walls having vertical outside cleats bearingagainst the facing surfaces of said uprights and extended beyond oneedge of each side wall to bear against the outer edge of the bottomwall, substantially as specified.

2. A crate having top and bottomwalls, each including a frame and aninterstitial filling-web, pivotal side walls connecting the top andbottom frames at opposite sides, opposite removable side walls fittedbetween the contiguous side bars .of the top and bot to the contiguousframe-bar, substantially as specified.

3. A crate having top and bottom walls each consisting of a frameprovided with an interstitial filling-web, opposite pivotal side wallsconnecting the frames of the top and bottom walls, opposite removablewalls fitting between the contiguous side bars of the top and bottomframes and provided at their lower edges with projections or cleatstoengage the contiguous frame-bars, and pivotal stirrup-shaped catchesmounted upon the frame-bars contiguous to the opposite edges of theremovable walls, to engage and secure the latter in place, substantiallyas specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

1 JAMES ASA REEDER.

WVitnesses:

J. T. MEE, GEO. W. WINFoRn.

